It's been a long game of chicken, but Democratic leadership is ready to bet Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) will blink first when it comes to stalling healthcare reform.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said last night on the Rachel Maddow Show [9] that she no longer believes that Rep. Stupak will throw healthcare reform under the bus simply to try and keep in his rigid anti-choice amendment. "Bart Stupak wants health care reform," said Pelosi [10]. "I don't think that he himself would be one to say 'I'm taking down health care reform because of it.'"
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that the senate will be passing reform via reconciliation, which requires only a 51 vote majority rather than the full 60 vote supermajority Republicans have been using to blockade the process. The house, too will pass their version, and Pelosi will be "calling the bluff of Congressman Bart Stupak and the mysterious, unnamed group of Democrats Mr. Stupak says he speaks for," as Maddow put it.
Pelosi stated in her interview [11], "I cannot let the good intentions of some be hijacked by those who do not want health care reform."
See the full video below.